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Jessica Lundberg

Where I work

Lundberg Family Farms

Where I live

Richvale, CA

United States

Biography

Jessica Lundberg is Vice President of People, Planet and Process as well as a member of the Board of Directors of Lundberg Family Farms, the United State’s leading producer of organic rice and rice products. A member of the Lundberg family’s third generation, she oversees the quality, human resources, safety and environmental initiatives at the company as well as the seed nursery, overseeing the maintenance, purity and development of proprietary rice varieties such as Wehani®, Black Japonica and California Arborio.

Jessica served as the Seed Nursery manager for Lundberg Family Farms from 2003 through 2012 during which time the department looked at organic weed control, organic insect control, organic fertilizers as well as variety purity and selection of rices suitable for growing in California. Citations in research publications during this time were in the areas of organic weed research and organic fertilizer research.

Jessica holds a degree in Biological Sciences from California State University at Chico and a Certificate in Plant Breeding from University of California at Davis. She is a graduate of the California Ag Leadership Program (Class 33) and the USA Rice Leadership Program (Class 18). She currently sits as a member of The Organic Center, the California Rice Commission, the California Rice Research Board, the CSU, Chico College of Ag Advisory Council and the Rawlins Sustainability Committee.

The Lundbergs have practiced sustainable farming techniques since 1937 and today the company leads the eco-positive agricultural movement with a commitment to organic production and renewable energy. Under Jessica’s leadership, the Company installed solar collectors to provide 20% of its electrical needs, and purchases the remaining 80% as certified green energy supplied by wind power to the California grid. She led the planning and building of the Company’s new 27,000 square foot office facility in Richvale which is built to Leed platinum standards and opened in August 2011.

Lundberg Family Farms is managed as a true family business, collaborating among parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and siblings to reach consensus on key business decisions. A pre-med student in college, Jessica’s interest in business, ecology and agriculture inevitably drew her back to the farm, where, in addition to organic and eco-farmed rice, she cultivates the bedrock values of respecting the land, honoring tradition, and producing the highest quality products. She makes her home with her husband in Chico, California near the family farm.

Expertise

Followers

Non-GMO

Freedom from the intellectual property restraints imposed by GMO seed companies allows farmers to maintain full control of their farm’s ecosystem, from choosing which varieties of seeds to grow to preserving a healthy chemical-free foundation for wildlife.

For the Lundberg Family, being able to choose which seeds to grow is a farmer’s right and a public asset. The use of GMOs has turned these assets into private goods and changed how farms operate. Instead of relying on chemical inputs, for example, the Lundbergs employ nature’s own resources. Weed control is attained through careful water management. Water drowns out grass-type weeds, then is withheld to dry up the fields and control the spread of broad leaf plants. “We feel that the consumer has the right to know if they are consuming genetically modified food,” says Jessica Lundberg.